Abdominal supporter.



T. S. PATTERSON.

ABDOMINAL SEUPPORTBR. APPLIGATIONTILED mm: 23, 190s.

1,068,268. Patented July 22, 1913.

COLUMIHA PLANOGlz/Imx CO.,WAS!HNGTON, n. c.

THOMAS S. PATTERSON, 0F ROSEMONT, PENNSYLVANIA.

ABDOMINAL S'UPPORTER.

Application filed June 23, 1908.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 22, 1913.

Serial No. 439,973.

To all who m, it may concern.

Be it known that l, THOMAS S. PATTER- soN, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing in ltosemont, Pennsylvania, have invented certain improvements in Abdominal Supporters, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention to so construct an abdominal supporter as to relieve the back of the wearer entirely of the weight carried by the supporter and transfer the weight to the shoulders, as fully described hereafter, ret'erence being had to the accompanying drawing, in which figure 1, is a perspective view of my im proved abdominal supporter; Fig. 2, is a side view showing the supporter applied; and Figs. 3 and 41:, are views of modifications of the means for holding the lower end of the supporter in position.

A. is the supporter shaped to conform to the abdomen and made of any suitable fabric of a type either elastic or inelastic as desired. This supporter is practically in the form of a sling passing around the extended portion of the abdomen so that the line of support is from the shoulders of the wearer instead of the back as heretofore.

At each upper corner a of the supporter are buttons l) in the present instance, to which are attached the loops 0 of a suspending band C. This band is preferably made as clearly shown in Fig. 1, the portion 0' on one side extends over the shoulder across the back and is attached to the other suspender at while the other section 0 of the suspender extends over the other shoulder across the back and is attached at c to the first mentioned suspended. Thus the supporter is carried wholly by the shoulders and the supporter is so made that the weight will be in a direct line with the suspender, as indicated by dotted line 03 m, Fig. 2, taken from the top of the shoulder to the lower portion of the abdomen. Thus the back is entirely relieved of pressure, as the extra weight of the abdomen and the supporter are carried entirely by the shoulders.

In order to hold the lower portion a of the supporter in place I preferably form loops D, D which are shaped to lit around the limbs of the wearer; the inner portions of the loops being attached at (Z at the base of the supporter while the outer portions of the loops are attached at CZ some distance from the lower portion, as illustrated in Fig. 2, thus retaining the supporter in position.

Other means of retaining the lower por tion of the supporter may be used without departing from my invention. F or instance, I have shown in Fig. 3, an elastic band 1) adapted to the limb of the wearer and at tached at (Z to the SIIPPOltGl A; while in Fig. 4-, I have shown a fabric strap 1) extending from the point (P of the supporter A. bet-ween the limbs and attached to an GX- tension. C of the Suspender C, but other means may be provided for holding the lower end of the supporter in place.

Heretofore abdominal supporters have been so arranged as to encircle the body and while shoulder straps have been used to retain the supporters in position the weightin every case has been carried by the back and in most cases at the small of the back, consequently while the supporters relieve the weight at the front of the wearer the weight was concent'ated at the back and great pain resulted at this point, and in many cases supporters of this type could not be used in view of the above fact.

My inniroved supporter is shaped simply to inclose the projecting forward portion of the body, leaving the back entirely free and the line of strain, as indicated by the dotted line in Fig. 2, is practically midway between the upper and lower portions of the supporter and the loops or other attachments are used for the purpose of retaining the lower portion of the supporter in position and preventing it riding up out of position.

A supporter of substantially triangular shape adapted to lit the abdominal portion of the body, said supporter having a substantially straight top and downwardly converging sides terminating substantially at a point at the bottom, suspenders connected to the side portions of said supporter and passing over the shoulders, the connections for such suspenders being forward of a vertical line drawn substantially through the center of the body whereby said sus- In testimony whereof, I have signed my penders serve to hold the supporter close to name to this specification, in the presence the body and form the sole support for the of two subscribing witnesses.

abdomen in a direct line from the shoulders, THOMAS S. PATTERSON. 5 and retaining means connected to the lower Witnesses:

portion of the supporter and passing rear- Jos. H. KLEIN, wardly between the legs. l M. A. BARR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

